Private clinics dispute Akufo-Addo over NHIS debt clearance claim

The Association of Private Clinics has disputed claims by government that the outstanding 15 months of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) debt has been settled.

Spokesperson of the Association, Samuel Donkor Boachie, said members who are owed by the government are yet to receive any monies from the outstanding payment.

“As we talk right now, we still have outstanding debt from 2016 up to 2018. There is four months backlog of debt from 2016, five months unpaid from 2017 and nothing has been paid for 2018,” he told Joy News Monday.

President Nana Akufo-Addo had said his administration is gradually reviving the NHIS, which was struggling under the John Mahama government due to indebtedness.

He disclosed that “of the ¢1.2 billion debt we [government] inherited, the equivalent of $300 million, we [government] have paid, in the last 15 months, GHC1 billion, the equivalent of $250 million.”

He added that payments to service providers, since his government took office in January 2017 had been consistent.



As a result, “the Scheme is regaining its effectiveness so that for a minimum amount, subscribers can have access to a wide range of medical services.”

But in a quick reaction, Mr Boachie Donkor said the assertion is untrue.

“Where is the debt that government claims it has cleared? If Nana Akufo-Addo has paid, then we are pleading with him to contact the person government paid the monies to as it has not reached us,” he said.
According to him, they are yet to receive any money as payment for the backlog and current debt which is impacting negatively on their businesses.

“The picture is bad, our clinics are collapsing, if they do not pay us, maybe by next month we will all close down because we have no money to buy drugs.

“We do not have money to pay utilities like ECG, salaries and other costs…nothing at all is going on as machines at our facilities have broken down…” he added.

Source: Myjoyonline.com